The Appeal of Horror Film The appeal of horror films is prompted less by entertainment value than by peculiarities of the human mind. While admirers of these graphic films leave a theater having enjoyed a positive experience, the negative nature of the content presented points to the existence of underlying factors stimulating their enjoyment. Looking at psychological concepts for answers, how an individual processes emotional arousal, identifies with issues that they consider relevant, and perceives reality, help to explain why films presenting such horrific imagery excites many people. Many horror franchises create a level of violence and gore that is objectionable by most, yet viewers continue to swarm theaters, making the horror film industry …show more content…
The Romans filled coliseums with spectators to watch gladiators fight to the death, or men mauled to death by beasts. Writing, such as Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum inspired horror films like saw. Grindhouse films like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger appealed to multiple generations, but modern film is where ultra-violent horror reaches its height in significance. According to Hess, film “is the ultimate artistic medium so far devised by mankind. It combines photography, motion, visual arts, acting, writing, and music –a sensory experience that engages us so completely that watching a movie is often compared to dreaming” (pp. 1). With the invention of high resolution cameras, effects that seem realistic, and wall to wall screens, the viewer can find it hard to escape the action. These three factors help in enhancing the psychological effect on the …show more content…
In horror film, the filmmaker relies on the plot of the story to introduce curiosity to viewers. The filmmakers want the audience to anticipate things like the villains backstory, or which characters they believe will survive. The filmmakers then introduce grotesque images over the plot to enhance the feelings the audience associates with the characters and their stories. Ebiri writes that “the idea of revulsion, not just in terms of gore but also in terms of emotion and state of mind, lies at the heart of the genre.” (pp. 1). Horror films grow more grotesque with each year, and this is thought to continue. In a world where one can turn the news on and see that a mother killed her child, or that a mass shooting has occurred at a church, it forces filmmakers to explore imagery extreme enough to evoke curiosity in an
To begin with, some people would say they enjoy a horror movie that gets them scared out of their wits. They go see these movies once a month on average, for fun, each time choosing a newer sequel like “Final Destination” or “The evil Dead”. King says “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror movie we are daring the nightmare” (405). As a writer of best-sel...
2. According to Sobchack, contemporary screen violence greatly differs than portrayals of violence in years past. Today, violent scenes are careless and lack significance because we as audiences have become calloused and desensitized to any acts of violence. She states that there is “no grace or benediction attached to violence. Indeed, its very intensity seems diminished” (Sobchack 432). Senseless violence, gruesome acts, and profound amounts of gore are prevalent in movies today, and because even this is not enough, it must be accompanied by loud blasts and noise, constantly moving scenes to keep audiences stimulated and large quantities of violence for viewers to enjoy what they are watching. Decades ago, it was the story that was engaging to audiences and filmmaking was an art.
As stated by _____, humans seem to have an odd and very salient fascination with the open body which initiates the desire of viewing horror films. The first person camera work of the horror films Friday the 13th and the Blair Witch Project convey the intimacy between the characters and the audience, allowing each individual to identify with the characters of the film in some way. Not only is the audience enabled to experience the horror first-hand, but they are allowed to satisfy their curiosity through the medium of movies. Modern movie producers continue finding ways to make films more gory, “realistic,” and relatable. They’ve begun utilizing props and special effects to please their audience but why do the audience members prefer realistic
One of America’s famous actress film director and producer Katie Aselton once said,” I don’t love horror movies with something surreal happening. That doesn’t work for me. What’s terrifying is something that could actually happen to me and what I would do. I don’t know how to throw a punch, and I’ve never had to do it.” This quote shows connection to King’s article. I’m starting to consider that everyone has a crazy side. Why We Crave Horror Movies explains the reason people want to go see horror movies. The average person enjoys the horror movies because they are in a safe environment knowing they can not be harmed. By discussing the argumentative strategies such as ethos, logos,
Some would say watching horror movies and being scared out of your wits is a fun way to spend their hard earned money. They go see these movies on average once a week, each time choosing a newer version of a trilogy like “Chucky” or “The evil Dead”. Film making has come a long way over the last few decades, the graphic...
The genre of horror films is one that is vast and continually growing. So many different elements have been known to appear in horror films that it is often times difficult to define what is explicitly a horror film and what is not. Due to this ambiguous definition of horror the genre is often times divided into subgenres. Each subgenre of horror has a more readily identifiable list of classifications that make it easier to cast a film to a subgenre, rather than the entire horror genre. One such subgenre that is particularly interesting is that of the stalker film. The stalker film can be categorized as a member of the horror genre in two ways. First, the stalker film can be identified within the horror genre due to its connection with the easily recognizable subgenre of horror, the slasher film. Though many elements of the stalker film differ from those of the slasher film, the use of non-mechanical weapons and obvious sexual plot points can be used to categorize the stalker film as a subgenre of the slasher film. Secondly, the stalker film can be considered a member of the horror genre using Robin Wood’s discussion regarding horror as that which society represses. The films Fatal Attraction, The Fan, and The Crush will be discussed in support of this argument. (Need some connector sentence here to finish out the intro)
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
Often times I wonder if people go to see horror movies for enjoyment, or is it something much more than that? I have mixed feelings about the idea that, “the horror film has become the modern version of public lynching” (King 562). Horror movies do promote violence and can influence the mindset of the audience, but sanity people is not based on the excitement we receive from watching a horror film. Instead, it is based on what is already within us, not what we witness on a movie screen, but what we experience throughout our lifetime.
In “The Naked and Undead,” Freeland declares the audience cannot stop watching the horrific film, regardless of how horrible a movie because the preponderance of horror films force spectators to reflect on the nature of evil. They also allure and create emotions, and define the purpose of a movie (Vincent 5). Freeland notes that horror films are both scary and addictive because they make viewers reflect on the evils and the monster in an actual movie scene. However, these are reasons why no matter how scary a horror film is, the audience does not stop watching horrific movies but instead is captivated by it. Freeland draws attention to the ways in which audiences of horror films are drawn into the pleasures and spectacle presented vis-à-vis cinematic texts; indeed, audiences are captivated by both the humor shown in them as well as the horrifying elements. However, Freeland additionally seeks to postulate that the public’s cognitive and emotional response to horror films “prompts [the audience] to ponder themes about the nature of good and evil” (Freeland
Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned. (Horror Films)
We all have cravings, be it for snacks or sweets, there is always something we desire. We crave horror in the same way. In Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” he argues that people need to watch horror films in order to release the negative emotions within us. King believes that people feel enjoyment while watching others be terrorized or killed in horror movies. King’s argument has elements that are both agreeable and disagreeable. On one hand he is acceptable when claiming we like the thrill and excitement that comes from watching horror movies; however, his views regarding that the fun comes from seeing others suffer cannot be agreed with because the human condition is not as immoral as he claims it to be.
Stephen King, a very well-known writer and director, has a passionate voice when it comes to anything dealing with horror. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” King calls us out for knowing that we love the adrenaline rush and how we are so captivated by horror movies. He explains how we watch horror movies for the level of fun. King proposes that we go to defy ourselves; to see how far it can push us and that is what makes the experience so interesting. We lock our inner psycho from reality and feed it with the demonic, bloody violence found in horror movies. Doing this suggests that horror movies are our fix for our psychotic thoughts. Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies” portrays that we are all insane in some weird way through
Horror films are designed to frighten the audience and engage them in their worst fears, while captivating and entertaining at the same time. Horror films often center on the darker side of life, on what is forbidden and strange. These films play with society’s fears, its nightmare’s and vulnerability, the terror of the unknown, the fear of death, the loss of identity, and the fear of sexuality. Horror films are generally set in spooky old mansions, fog-ridden areas, or dark locales with unknown human, supernatural or grotesque creatures lurking about. These creatures can range from vampires, madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, demons, zombies, evil spirits, satanic villains, the possessed, werewolves and freaks to the unseen and even the mere presence of evil.
Would you rather be horrified beyond repair or thrilled to the point of no return? In horror, the main purpose is to invoke fear and dread into the audience in the most unrealistic way. Horror movies involve supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, teleportation, and being completely immortal. As thriller films are grounded in realism and involve more suspense, mystery, and a sense of panic. Though both genres will frighten the audience, it will happen in two different ways. Whether the horror thrills or the thriller horrifies, a scare is always incorporated.
A horror movie “makes people think, what if it was reality?” said by a thrill seeker person who was waiting to watch a horror movie. Experts also cite more various reasons about why people enjoy watching scary movies. For the thrill of it and also because it seems real for thrill seekers; these are some secretes reveled to show why thrill seekers enjoy horror movies. Feeling the sense of evil and being curious about understanding humanity’s dark side makes horror movies a perfect way of enjoying these feelings, and relieving the tension of curiosity about violent, blood and terrorism. Moreover, experts said that not only desirability to blood and fear could consider as an attraction to whose ...